A few days in Worcester ...

I've been too busy to blog lately. Truth be told, I'm too busy now, but I thought it time to catch up, because these last few days were a good reminder of why I love living in Worcester.

Friday began at work, with me trying to get through the Saturday and Monday pages I edit while working a half day. Normally, I can pull that off with some judicious shuffling of things that can wait until Monday morning, since I don't normally work on stories on Friday. But a story popped up: Worcester rapper Joyner Lucas' viral video, I'm Not Racist.

Spent an hour or so putting my ducks in a row for a real story later this week. I'll refrain from any thoughts on the video until then, save to say I thought it was interesting enough to lead off the next part of my day, lecturing to James Dempsey's journalism class at WPI.

I always love talking to college kids, and this group was no exception. They were bright and easily engaged, and we had a free-flowing conversation that jumped from hip-hop and journalistic strategies that I might use to cover the video -- I'm stealing a couple of their ideas! -- to "fake news" and the state of the news industry. A great time, and always, always rewarding.

Out a little earlier than expected, I joined my wife and our friend Sarah for coffee at Barnes & Noble in Lincoln Plaza, which was pleasant, and then Lea and I headed downtown to catch Jessica Cabral singing at the Festival of Lights on the Worcester Common. I don't know if it's all the negativity in the air these days or what, but I've been in the need for some Christmas cheer, and the Festival didn't disappoint: It was nice to head downtown with a few thousand people in good spirits, listening to holiday music. Jessica was fantastic, of course. I've been covering her since she first appeared on American Idol, but because she actually lives in Los Angeles, I've never seen her live. Mostly holiday tunes aside, she didn't disappoint.

Tired, Lea and I left after her set, and ordered in food from Shangri-La. Which is ironic, because we were right there in front of it downtown, but the tired mind does not make the most practical choices.

Saturday we were mostly homebodies, as Lea had work to do and I had to finish up a couple record reviews of albums that don't exist for Scott Woods' Wrecka Playa: Album Titles in 20 Years art exhibit. I can't make it out unless plane tickets magically appear or something, but if you find yourself in Columbus, Ohio, on Dec. 9, you should totally check it out. The exhibit opens December 9, 2017 @ Second Sight Project, Columbus OH., and will be at the 735-737 Sullivant Avenue address. Admission is free.

Sunday started with mostly grocery shopping and domestic stuff like that, which culminated with the discovery that our oven wasn't working. The burners are working fine, just the oven. Inquiries are being made and the drama is ongoing. Still, we didn't let that stop us from going to Nick's Bar and Restaurant to catch poet Lulu Hawkes read. I've been a fan for a couple years now, and she was fabulous, as usual. Having been denied dinner, we tided our appetites with pretzels and (in my case) a Manhattan. We finished off the evening with takeout from Gold Star CupBop and set up a nice, cozy fire in the backyard, which we sat around and talked to friends for a bit longer than planned, which was wonderful and besides, it was a gorgeous night to be outside.

And that was three days in Worcester ... a little mundane, a little fantastic, but all in all, a town that still doesn't bore me after 15 years living here, filled with good people and interesting things, which of course is something that's been a theme in my writing these past few years: